Piers Morgan slams Prince Harry for defending private jet use and also preaching about climate change: 'You can't do both'
Piers Morgan wants Prince Harry to decide whether he wants to be a senior royal or just another "gas-guzzling celebrity." This comes after the Duke of Sussex insisted on September 3 that he spends "99 percent of his life traveling the world by commercial aircraft" in response to outrage over his use of four private jets in just 11 days over the summer. The 34-year-old prince said he only "occasionally" used private jets to "keep his family safe," Daily Mail reports.
However, Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan has now given Harry an ultimatum, that he must choose whether he and Meghan, 38, want to be members of the royal family or want to behave like some hypocritical A-list celebrities.
"I've got no problem with royals using private jets, I've done all of that myself," Morgan said. "My problem comes when they're trying to be the high priest and priestess of environmental preaching. You can't do both."
The British journalist and presenter noted that he flew into Nice airport on a commercial plane at the same time Harry and Meghan landed in a private jet to vacation at Sir Elton John's Cote d'Azur mansion. "I flew into Nice at the same time as them, there's no problem, people don't bother you," he argued.
But his co-host Susanna Reid was quick to interject, saying "You're not a royal!" The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have sparked criticism for using private jets on a whim after saying they would have only two children in an effort to minimize their carbon footprint.
Meanwhile, Morgan warned that Harry seemed "defiant" at a press conference in Amsterdam while responding to allegations of hypocrisy over the use of private jets.
According to Morgan, Meghan should "have a chat with the Queen" before talking to her husband. "Harry if you're watching, don't do that," Morgan said. "You're either going to be a senior royal or you're going to be a private jet-guzzling celebrity."
Speaking to reporters in Amsterdam on September 3, Prince Harry said, "I came here by commercial. I spend 99 percent of my life traveling the world by commercial."
"Occasionally there needs to be an opportunity based on a unique circumstance to ensure that my family are safe," he added. "It's genuinely as simple as that."
But Viscountess Hinchingbrooke Julie Montagu, who also appeared on GMB, argued Harry was right about safety issues. "Here's the thing, his mother died when he was 12 years old because she was hounded by the press," she told Morgan. "She died. You say she always took commercial flights, so would she have been safer if she took private jets? He is saying he has to keep his family safe, which makes me think there is something more going on."
But for Morgan, Prince Harry's safety "excuse" was "bogus."
Montagu denied the Sussexes are hypocrites, saying they can "do things differently" and "use their platform more than the Queen does" as he is never going to be King.
Meanwhile, royal commentator Duncan Larcombe also defended the couple, but agreed "they couldn't have got it more wrong this summer."
"Harry is a lovely, lovely guy, I've known him for years, he's a credit to Britain, and Meghan too," Larcombe said. "They're trying to do things their own way, but could they have done it more wrong this summer? Nobody wants to hate these two."
Nonetheless, Morgan concluded by saying the Sussexes "are making themselves look like rank hypocrites."
